Improvement in sofa-bedsteads



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILSON LEWIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEM ENT IN SOFAv-BEDSTEADS.

Specification forming part of Letters .Patent No. 178,314, dated June 6, 1876; application led November 17, 1875.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILsoN LEWIS, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and. useful Improvement in Folding Sofa-Beds; and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear and exact description of the nature thereof, sufcient to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand, make, and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a top view of the device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similarview of the same opened or unfolded. Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists in the extensible portion of the frame of a sofa constructed of side pieces hinged together, and having a side rail hinged thereto, whereby said parts and rail may be compactly folded against the rear of the sofa, and they are readily opened or distended for converting the sofa into a bed.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the frame of a sofa, B the side pieces, C the seat, and AD the back, the bottom of Which is hinged to the rear of the seat. E E' represent pieces, which are hinged to each other, and the inner pieces E thereof are hinged to the rear end of the side pieces B, and said pieces E E when distended are of form similar to the pieces B, andare continuations thereof. F represents what may be termed the side rail 7 of the bedstead when the sofa is converted thereinto. This rail is hinged to the outer pieces E', and folded thereagainst.

W hen the sofa is required, the parts are in position shown in Fig. 1. The back D is upright, the pieces E are folded against the back, the pieces E are folded against the pieces E, and the side rail F is folded against the pieces E', whereby the sofa is in compact form, convenient for handling and transpor tation, and ready foroccupation in an apartment as an ordinary sofa. When, however, a bed is required the rail F and pieces E lE are drawn out or unfolded, so as to form, as it were, a duplicate of the frame A and side pieces B. The back D may 110W be let down, and, with the seat G,it forms abed bottom; and said back will rest on the side rail F, and be firmly supported ythereon,'it occupying a posi tion between the two sets of pieces E E. v

It will be seen that the pieces E E cannot open or close, the back cannot be let down below its supporting-rail F, and thus a firm and reliable bed is produced.

To convert the bedin to a sofa, raise the back D, and fold the pieces E E and rail F, so that the parts again assume the position shown in Fig. l, in which condition, if desired, bolts 0r catches may be employed to prevent opening of the parts.

When the sofa is extended the ends of the rail F will rest on shoulders a on the pieces E', so as to relieve the hinges of said rail and pieces of the weight of the back D and the occupants of the bed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

rEhe folding side pieces E E', hinged to each -other and to the sofa-frame A B, in combination with the folding side rail F, hinged to lthe pieces E', substantially as and for the pur- 

